Australian Open: Venus Out, Li Na Through

China’s Li Na plays a shot in her first round match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday.

China’s Li Na breezed through the opening round of the Australian Open on Monday, taking just over one hour to defeat Ana Konjuh of Croatia 6-2, 6-0.

The No. 4 seed will play Belinda Bencic in the second round after the Swiss player beat Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Date-Krumm made her debut at the Australian Open in 1990. She retired in the mid-1990s and since her comeback in 2009 has only progressed beyond the first round once.

In the same section of the draw, Venus Williams of the U.S. was beaten in three sets by Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova, the No. 22 seed. Williams, the former world No. 1, was not seeded in this tournament, her 13th Australian Open.

Makarova will play Williams’s compatriot Irina Falconi in the second round.

In other matches Monday, the opening day of the tournament, Australia’s Casey Dellacqua beat Vera Zvonareva of Russia and will face 18th seed Kirsten Flipkens in the second round after the Belgian beat British No. 1 Laura Robson 6-3, 6-0.

Australia’s No. 1, Samantha Stosur, will play Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic in the Rod Laver Arena later Monday. Serena Williams, the world No. 1 from the U.S., and defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia are also due to play in the main arena in Melbourne on Monday.